adminAuckland Vikings in the Plate final of the Safaricom Sevens tournament in Nairobi, Kenya at the weekend.
Hoping to leave an impression in the two day tournament that started on Saturday, the Cheetahs put up a good performance in the group stages of the competition to make it for the Cup quarter final.
But they were not strong enough to cause an upset against Samoa in the quarter-final where they lost 5-35 to the eventual tournament winners.
Losing to Samoa meant that the Cheetahs were demoted to play in the Plate section of the tournament where they once again managed to post a positive result closely beating Grenobe 19-14.
The New Zealanders had also beaten Spain by the same scoreline in the other Plate semi-final and they proved more superior than Zimbabwe in the final.
Gilbert Nyamutsamba’s troops were using this tournament as their major preparation event as they are set to take part in the International Rugby Board World Sevens Series Dubai and South Africa legs.
However, they were missing the services of the oversees based players who include Gardner Nechironga and Manasah Sita and South African based Tafadzwa Chitokwindo who will, however, be part of the side when they travel to Dubai and South Africa early next month.
With assistant coach Nyamutsamba in charge, the senior side also travelled with their developmental side the Goshawks who are also fighting to justify a cause for inclusion into the national side.
The Goshawks were knocked out in the Shield semi-finals where they lost 5-21 to Uganda before being demoted to play in the Bowl quarter-finals where they were edged 5-7 by Royal Welsh.
The national sides were expected back home yesterday.
Safaricom Sevens Results
Main Cup Final: Samoa 31 Samurai 14
Semis: Kenya 12, Samurai 29; Samoa 19, Emerging Boks 10.
Quarter finals: Kenya 12, Auckland 7; Samurai 17, Spain 0; Samoa 34, Zimbabwe 5; Emerging Springboks 24, Grenoble 14.
Plate Finals: Auckland Vikings 29, Zimbabwe 12.
Semis: Auckland 19, Spain 14; Zimbabwe 19, Grenoble 14.
Bowl Final: Bristol University Select 14, Belmont Shore 17.
Semis: Bristol Univ 26, Royal Welsh 7; Belmont 28, Mwamba 7.
Quarters: Uganda 0, Bristol 19; Royal Welsh 7, Goshawks 5; Belmont 52, Tanzania 0; Mwamba 19, Rwanda 5.
Shield Final: Uganda 31, Rwanda 0.
Semis: Uganda 21, Goshawks 5; Tanzania 12, Rwanda 28.
Online Reporter